When the people who claim to help are the problem.

[jackandahat]

Right now I'm looking for work, and I've just been sent to an agency - Remploy - who deal with getting disabled people into work. I'm hard of hearing and I have arthritis so I walk with a cane.

I was sat with "my" advisor, Jonathan, getting lectured on how I would be wonderful in this job and I had to think positive thoughts. He yet again pulled the "All you need is adaptive technology" speech - I've discussed with them several times that adapted phones just don't work for me - I've never met one that does, and frankly, it's too much of a bloody struggle.. I was sat down, my cane was propped against my backpack.

The other advisor - I don't know his name, call him Stupid Fuck - picked up my cane and put it behind his back, and started giving a speech about how now no-one would know I was disabled, and I had to think of it like that.

The only thing that kept me from getting up and punching him was knowing I'd lose my benefits if I did. Oh yeah, and the fact he had my cane.

Did I mention this is an agency designed specifically to deal with getting disabled people into work?

So there was absolutely nothing I could do. If I did anything, they'd have stopped my dole money and I wouldn't have been able to afford to, you know, pay rent and eat. I told Jonathan that being told "You don't look disabled" is not helpful, but I was too much in shock to work out what to say about the cane thing - when I go in tomorrow I Will be having words with Stupid Fuck, I just didn't know what to do and he was standing over me.

Anyone else faced this kind of thing? Any ideas what to do/say to him? (I know the obvious is "Put in a complaint", but if that's how the staff act, I suspect they'd laugh in my face.)

Comments

[maevele]

I can't help but feel like that is as big of a personal violation as physical contact with your body would have been. I tell my kids to treat someone's mobility devices the same way they do someone's body parts, so to me it reads like assault as much as grabbing your person would have been. I'm coming at this as an outsider though, as my disabilities are not physical.

So, Stupid Fuck deserves an assbeat, and lacking that, I guess a strong letter to his supervisors? Because it needs to be clear to people working with disabled people that there are some fucking boundaries.

[jackandahat]

Yeah - had I been holding it at the time, I'd definitely consider it "part of me", so I guess it makes sense even if you put it down, it still counts.

I'm definitely going to have a word with his boss - I'd rather have a word because it seems less likely to be ignored then a letter, but. Not sure what to say.

[pauamma]

I'd suggest both. Tell them, and make sure they understand you expect a written official confirmation of whatever you're told.

[phoenixsong]

This. It's easy to deny a conversation took place. Stuff like this should be in writing, whether they send you a confirmation or you hand them a written complaint when you go to speak to Stupid Fuck's boss.